Do you believe corporations and unions have too much power over our state and local government officials? That is the question that Proposition 32 puts squarely before voters in November.

The fact is both corporations and unions do have too much power.

State-level candidates in 2010 received more than $70 million in union and corporate contributions. The consequence is a corrupt system that allows well-funded, narrow interests to control politicians.

For example, the California Teachers Association recently blocked legislation that would have made it easier for school districts to fire teachers in cases of sexual abuse. The bill easily passed the Senate only to fail in the Assembly Education Committee after the teachers' union voiced its opposition.

Corporations, too, wield undue influence. Several attempts have been made in recent years to pass legislation that would ban cancer-causing chemicals in flame retardants used in baby car seats, nursing pillows, even cribs. To defeat each attempt, corporations in the chemical industry gave 132 state senators and Assembly members $593,000.

Prop. 32 prohibits both corporations and unions from giving money directly to state and local candidates. It also bans government contractors from making contributions to elected officials who approve their contracts. And, it bars unions, corporations and government employers from collecting political funds from employees by deducting them from their paychecks.

Unions and the billionaire opponent of Prop. 32 will spend millions of dollars on ads that allege that the measure is unbalanced because banning payroll deductions disproportionately impacts unions. What they're not telling voters is that union members are still free to contribute voluntarily to their union's political causes.

Opponents also are going to spend millions alleging that Prop. 32 is filled with "exemptions" because it doesn't prevent super PACs and other forms of independent political spending. But what they're not telling you is that Prop. 32 goes as far as the U.S. Supreme Court allows to restrict corporate political spending.

They will argue that though it prevents corporations from giving, it still allows business entities other than corporations to give - but they're not going to tell you that those contributions would have to be attributed to individuals and applied to their individual contribution limit, just like in the federal system.

Unions and corporations are opposed to Prop. 32 because they want to protect their power over politicians and fear what will happen when politicians become accountable to the voters.

A vote for Prop. 32 removes the ability of special interests to buy off politicians and put their interests ahead of our children and our families.

Gabriella Holt is the president of Citizens for California Reform, a political action committee. This article has been corrected since it appeared in print editions.